African scientists have warned that the continent faces a sharp rise in dementia cases, as a result of increasing life expectancies and a lack of healthcare systems that are adequately equipped to care for the growing elderly population. While Africa is often noted for its youthful demographic, it also has the fastest-growing elderly population, leading to more age-related diseases like dementia. Despite this, research on dementia in Africa is minimal, representing just 0.1% of the continent’s overall research output. Outdated technologies, poor data, and late diagnoses are major challenges in addressing the condition, which is expected to affect 7.6 million people by 2050. Experts argue that dementia, often dismissed as a natural part of aging, is preventable if caught early. They urge African governments and the healthcare industry to pay more attention to the condition, as they do to other diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria.
SOURCE: SEMAFOR
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